SAT versus ACT: How to Compare the Test Scores

Millions of teenagers have suffered through both the SAT and the ACT in the hope of getting the best scores possible to impress college admission officers. Some teenagers fare better with the SAT, while others swear that the ACT is a friendlier test.

But what bewilders many teenagers and their families is how the scores compare to each other. The highest ACT score a student can earn is 36. In contrast, the top score a braniac can capture for the combined critical reading and math section of the SAT is 1600.

The difference in scores has lead to all sorts of questions. If you get a 28 on the ACT, for instance, and a 1240 on the SAT, which is better?

The makers of the SAT and the ACT have decided to end the guess work. They released two equivalency charts today that link ACT and SAT scores.

One of the new charts, for example, shows that an ACT score of 28 equals a score of 1260 on the SAT and fits into an SAT range of 1250-1280.

You can look at the equivalency chart, as well as another one that compares writing scores, by visiting the College Board’s website.

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